ately after the troops had been stationed
near him, would only tend to excite suspicion. He thought, too, that
he must have been wrong in supposing that the camp had been
established in rear of him with any reference to him or his party.

"If they suspected us in the least, they would arrest us without
waiting to make sure of their suspicions," he thought; nevertheless,
it was awkward to be shut in and cut off from the easy retreat which
he had planned, as a means of escape, in the event of necessity, and
he determined to seek an excuse for removing within a day or two from
his present camping place to one which would leave him freer in his
movements. He was so troubled that he could not sleep, and the
flickering blaze of the dying camp fire annoyed him. He got up,
therefore, from his seat on a log and went to the boat and sat down in
the stern sheets to think.

He had no fear of danger for himself, or rather, he was prepared to
encounter, without flinching, any danger into which his duty might
lead him; but I have not succeeded very well in making my readers
acquainted with Sam Hardwicke's character, if they do not know that he
was a thoroughly conscientious boy, and from the beginning of this
expedition until now, he had never once forgotten that his authority,
as its commander, involved with it a heavy responsibility.

"These boys," he frequently said to himself, "are subject to my
command. They must go where I lead them, and have no chance to use
their own judgments. I decide where they shall go and what they shall
do, and I am responsible for the consequences to them."

Feeling his responsibility thus deeply, he was troubled now lest any
mistake of his should lead them into unnecessary danger. He carefully
weighed every circumstance which could possibly affect his decision,
and his judgment was that his duty required him to remain yet a day or
two in the neighborhood of Pensacola, and that it would only tend to
awaken suspicion if he should remove his camp to any other point on
the shores of the bay. He must stay where he was, and risk the
consequences. If ill should befall the boys it would be an unavoidable
ill, incurred in the discharge of duty, and he would have no reason,
he thought, to reproach himself.

Just as he reached this conclusion, Thlucco came from somewhere out of
the darkness, and stepping into the boat took a seat just in front of
Sam, facing him.

"Why, Thlucco," exclaimed Sam, "where did